Toxic effects of low doses of Bisphenol-A on human placental cells

Journal Article · Tue Dec 15 00:00:00 EST 2009 · Toxicology and Applied Pharmacology

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.taap.2009.09.005· OSTI ID:21344815

Benachour, Nora ^[1]; Aris, Aziz ^[1]

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1. Laboratory of Research in Reproductive and Gestational Health, Quebec (Canada)

Humans are exposed daily to a great number of xenobiotics and their metabolites present as pollutants. Bisphenol-A (BPA) is extensively used in a broad range of products including baby bottles, food-storage containers, medical equipment, and consumer electronics. Thus, BPA is the most common monomer for polycarbonates intended for food contact. Levels of this industrial product are found in maternal blood, amniotic fluid, follicular fluid, placental tissue, umbilical cord blood, and maternal urine. In this study, we investigated toxic effects of BPA concentrations close to levels found in serum of pregnant women on human cytotrophoblasts (CTB). These cells were isolated from fresh placentas and exposed to BPA for 24 h. Our results showed that very low doses of BPA induce apoptosis (2 to 3 times) as assessed using M30 antibody immunofluorescent detection, and necrosis (1.3 to 1.7 times) as assessed through the cytosolic Adenylate Kinase (AK) activity after cell membrane damage. We also showed that BPA increased significantly the tumor-necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) gene expression and protein excretion as measured by real-time RT-PCR and ELISA luminescent test, respectively. Moreover, we observed that induction of AK activation and TNF-alpha gene expression require lower levels of BPA than apoptosis or TNF-alpha protein excretion. Our findings suggest that exposure of placental cells to low doses of BPA may cause detrimental effects, leading in vivo to adverse pregnancy outcomes such as preeclampsia, intrauterine growth restriction, prematurity and pregnancy loss.

• OSTI ID: 21344815
• Journal Information: Toxicology and Applied Pharmacology, Vol. 241, Issue 3; Other Information: DOI: 10.1016/j.taap.2009.09.005; PII: S0041-008X(09)00386-X; Copyright (c) 2009 Elsevier Science B.V., Amsterdam, The Netherlands, All rights reserved.; ISSN 0041-008X
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES
AMNIOTIC FLUID
ANTIBODIES
APOPTOSIS
BLOOD
CELL MEMBRANES
DOSES
ENZYME IMMUNOASSAY
GENES
IN VIVO
MEN
MESSENGER-RNA
NECROSIS
PHENOLS
PLACENTA
POLYCARBONATES
PREGNANCY
TOXICITY
URINE
ANIMALS
AROMATICS
BIOASSAY
BIOLOGICAL MATERIALS
BIOLOGICAL WASTES
BODY FLUIDS
CARBON COMPOUNDS
CARBONATES
CELL CONSTITUENTS
FETAL MEMBRANES
HYDROXY COMPOUNDS
IMMUNOASSAY
MALES
MAMMALS
MAN
MATERIALS
MEMBRANES
NUCLEIC ACIDS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC POLYMERS
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PATHOLOGICAL CHANGES
POLYMERS
PRIMATES
RNA
VERTEBRATES
WASTES